Copenhagen Central Station (, ; abbreviated ''København H'', colloquially usually referred to as ''Hovedbanegården'' or simply ''Hovedbanen'') is the

main railway station Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...

in Copenhagen,

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

, and the largest railway station in Denmark. With more than 100,000 travellers every day, it is the second busiest station in Denmark after

Nørreport station The fortifications of Copenhagen underwent a comprehensive modernization and expansion in the 17th century. The project was commenced and was largely the masterplan of Christian IV in the early 17th century but was continued and completed by his s ...

. It is located in central Copenhagen, situated between the

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

Indre By Indre By (English language, English: ), also known as Copenhagen Center or K or Downtown Copenhagen, is an districts of Copenhagen, administrative district (''bydel'') in central Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. It covers an area of , has a p ...

and Vesterbro with entrances from Bernstorffsgade (opposite

Tivoli Gardens Tivoli Gardens, also known simply as Tivoli (), is an amusement park and pleasure garden in Copenhagen, Denmark. The park opened on 15 August 1843 and is the third-oldest operating amusement park in the world, after Dyrehavsbakken in nearby Kla ...

), Banegårdspladsen,

Reventlowsgade Reventlowsgade is a street in the Vesterbro, Copenhagen, Vesterbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark, which follows the "Vesterbro side" of Copenhagen Central Station, between Vesterbrogade to the northwest and Tietgensgade to the southeast. One of ...

and access to platforms from

Tietgensgade Tietgensgade is a street in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It runs from H. C. Andersens Boulevard in the northeast to Kvægtorvgade at the Kødbyen, Meat-Packing District in the southwest, linking Stormgade in the city centre with Ingerslevsgade and ...

. Copenhagen Central Station is the hub of the DSB railway network serving Denmark and international destinations. It offers

International Train A train (from Old French , from Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles th ...

services to Sweden and Germany,

InterCity InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the train categories in Europe, classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to InterRegio, regional train, r ...

and

Express train An express train is a type of passenger train that makes few or no stops between its origin and destination stations, usually major destinations, providing faster service than local trains that stop at many or all of the stations along their ...

services across Denmark, regular and frequent

regional train Regional rail is a public rail transport service that operates between towns and cities. These trains operate with more stops than inter-city rail, and unlike commuter rail, operate beyond the limits of urban areas, connecting smaller cities a ...

services to and from

Zealand Zealand ( ) is the largest and most populous islands of Denmark, island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size) at 7,031 km2 (2715 sq. mi.). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 Januar ...

and southern Sweden (also referred to as Øresund trains),

commuter rail Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...

services of the Copenhagen

S-train The S-Bahn ( , ), , is a hybrid urban rail, urban–suburban rail system serving a metropolitan region predominantly in German language, German-speaking countries. Some of the larger S-Bahn systems provide service similar to rapid transit syst ...

network across the

Greater Copenhagen The urban area of Copenhagen (also known as Greater Copenhagen) ( or ), lying mostly in the Capital Region of Denmark but also in Region Zealand, consist of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg municipalities and the former Copenhagen County. In all, it ...

area, as well as lines M3 (

City Circle Line The M3 line or City Circle Line is a loop line of the Copenhagen Metro. It has been claimed by COWI A/S that the line is the largest construction project to have taken place in Copenhagen during the last 400 years.Copenhagen Metro network. The first station in Copenhagen opened in 1847. The current station building opened in 1911 and is the work of architect

Heinrich Wenck Heinrich (Henry) Emil Charles Wenck (10 March 1851 – 3 February 1936) was a Danish architect, known for the numerous railway stations he designed in his capacity of chief architect for the Danish State Railways from 1894 to 1921. During the yea ...

. The station has 7 platforms and 13 tracks. On the station concourse there are many small shops, restaurants, cafés, and fast food outlets.

Location

The central station is located in the centre of Copenhagen, on the south-eastern perimeter of the historic

old town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins. In some cases, newer developments on t ...

, between the

city districts A city district, also known as an urban district or neighbourhood, is a designated administrative division that is generally managed by a local government. It is used to divide a city into several administrative units. City districts are used ...

and Vesterbro. The station complex is bounded by the streets Bernstorffsgade, Banegårdspladsen,

and

, the latter of which crosses the station throat on Tietgensbroen (''the Tietgen's Bridge)''. One of the main arteries of Copenhagen,

Vesterbrogade Vesterbrogade () is the main shopping street of the Vesterbro, Copenhagen, Vesterbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. The 1.5 km long street runs from the City Hall Square, Copenhagen, City Hall Square in the east to Pile Allé in Frederiksbe ...

, crosses the railway tracks a short distance to the north of the station. The station is situated in a dense urban environment; To the east, it is immediately adjacent to the inner-city

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...

. To the north, opposite the main portal on Banegårdspladsen, stands the

Liberty Memorial The National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri was opened in 1926 as the Liberty Memorial. In 2004, it was designated by the United States Congress as the country's official war memorial and museum dedicated to World Wa ...

in Vesterbrogade, erected in 1797 to commemorate the abolition of

serfdom Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery. It developed du ...

in Denmark. Banegårdspladsen is surrounded by the historic hotels Hotel Plaza, Hotel Astoria from 1935, and Hotel Royal from 1960, designed by Danish architect and designer

Arne Jacobsen Arne Emil Jacobsen, Honorary Fellowship of the American Institute of Architects, Hon. FAIA (; 11 February 1902 – 24 March 1971) was a Danish architect and furniture designer. He is remembered for his contribution to functionalism (architec ...

. To the west of the station starts

Istedgade Istedgade (also called ''Strassen'') is a 1-kilometer straight street in the district of Vesterbro in the Danish capital, Copenhagen. It starts at Copenhagen Central Station and runs parallel to Vesterbrogade to Enghave Plads and Enghaveparken ...

, which developed into an

entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and Interest (emotion), interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but it is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have deve ...

, and

red light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are partic ...

after the station opened, but has undergone a partial

gentrification Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has ...

process in later years. The station building has entrances from Bernstorffsgade, Banegårdspladsen and Reventlowsgade, and the platforms have direct access via stairs from Tietgensbroen. The underground metro station can be accessed directly from the platforms by an

underpass A subway, also known as an underpass, is a grade-separated pedestrian crossing running underneath a road or railway in order to entirely separate pedestrians and cyclists from motor or train traffic. Terminology In the United States, as ...

under the tracks but also has its own, separate entrance in Stampesgade outside the station complex.

History

First station

The first railway station in Copenhagen was constructed on behalf of '' Det Sjællandske Jernbaneselskab'' (''the Zealand Railway Company'') to serve as the eastern

terminal station A train station, railroad station, or railway station is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight, or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track, and a station building providing such ...

of the new Copenhagen–Roskilde railway line from

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 53,354 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...

, the first railway line in the

Kingdom of Denmark The Danish Realm, officially the Kingdom of Denmark, or simply Denmark, is a sovereign state consisting of a collection of constituent territories united by the Constitution of Denmark, Constitutional Act, which applies to the entire territor ...

. The station was ceremonially opened by King Christian VIII amid great festivities on 26 June 1847 along with the railway line, which was prolonged from Roskilde to the

port city A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manche ...

Korsør Korsør is a town in Zealand (Denmark), Zealand, Denmark. It is located in Slagelse Municipality. Until 2007 Korsør was the seat of Korsør Municipality. The town is located west of Slagelse, north-west of Skælskør and connects to Nyborg thr ...

by the

Great Belt The Great Belt (, ) is a strait between the major islands of Zealand (''Sjælland'') and Funen (''Fyn'') in Denmark. It is one of the three Danish Straits. Effectively dividing Denmark in two, the Belt was served by the Great Belt ferries fr ...

in 1856. For the opening the Danish composer

Hans Christian Lumbye Hans Christian Lumbye (; 2 May 1810 – 20 March 1874) was a Danish composer of waltzes, polkas, mazurkas and galops, among other things. Beginnings As a child, he studied music in Randers and Odense, and by age 14 he was playing the trumpet ...

composed the still popular ''Copenhagen Steam Railway Galop'', a musical composition which faithfully recreates the sounds of a train chugging out of a station and grinding to a halt at the next stop. The Danish author Hans Christian Andersen was also very enthusiastic about the first railway and wrote that driving a train was like flying. The station was located at the site of ''Dronningens Enghave'' (''the Queen's Meadow Garden''), a former royal pleasure garden located just outside the Fortifications of Copenhagen (17th century)#Vesterport, Vesterport (''Western Gate'') city gate of Copenhagen. The first station was located approximately at the site of the current station, but the tracks were perpendicular to their current direction, as the railway line then left the city along the current streets Halmtorvet and Sønder Boulevard. The station building was constructed of wood as it was built outside the Fortifications of Copenhagen (17th century), city's fortifications within the Fortifications of Copenhagen (17th century)#Demarcation line, demarcation line, a no-build zone Fortifications of Copenhagen (17th century), outside the ramparts where brick buildings were not allowed for military reasons. In case of war, the army should be able to burn buildings in the firing range outside the ramparts. This railway station and the still existing Roskilde railway station, Roskilde station (which is built in brick) are both linked to a largely unknown architect named L.F. Meyer (or Meier). But it has also been suggested that the railway station in Copenhagen should be attributed to the architect Harald Conrad Stilling, as there are strong similarities between the railway station and Stilling's roller coaster in the

. Both buildings are characterized by Italian architecture, Italian rural architecture, and Stilling was one of the most well-versed architects of this Italian style, just as he had insight into wood construction from his assignments at Tivoli. For both station buildings, a motif with two towers without spires is a central part of the composition (the towers at Roskilde station were crowned by a balustrade until 1873, when they were covered by pyramid roofs). The first station building was demolished in 1865.

Second station

In the 1860s, there were several plans to expand the Rail transport in Denmark, railway network in Denmark, and in particular to connect a North Line (Denmark), northbound line to North Zealand with the existing Vestbanen (Denmark), westbound line to

and the rest of

. As a consequence, an expansion of the old station became necessary. A proposal to build a new station close to the old Fortifications of Copenhagen (17th century)#Nørreport, Nørreport (''Northern Gate'') city gate was abandoned due to opposition from the Rigsdagen, Rigsdag, Denmark's parliament. In the end, it was decided to replace the old station and build a new larger station near the location of the old one. The construction started in 1863 and the station opened on 14 October 1864. As planned, the new railway station was also to service the new northbound railway lines that opened the year before, the North Line (Denmark), North Line to Hillerød and Elsinore and its branch line, the Klampenborgbanen, Klampenborg Line to Klampenborg. Copenhagen_2nd_central_station

The new railway station was located a little north of the location of the old one, on the other side of

. The station building was located approximately where the Palads Cinema and Axelborg lie today, but it was part of a larger facility, as there was a freight station in the same area. Together with track areas, train depot, depots, and railway turntable, turntables, the station area filled virtually the entire area, which today lies between Axeltorv, Gyldenløvesgade and Vester Søgade. As traffic increased, several additional smaller station buildings gradually opened in the station area. A separate station called the Klampenborg station for the Klampenborgbanen, Klampenborg Line had opened already in 1863. In 1887, a significant expansion of the area took place as a new separate station called the Klampenborg station opened for the Klampenborg Line, and the name of the old Klampenborg station was changed to the North station. And in 1896 a separate station for trains to Holte on the North Line, the Holte station, was opened just to the north of the North station. Copenhagen_2nd_central_station_perron

The station building was designed by the architect Johan Daniel Herholdt in the Rundbogenstil that now became popular in the architecture of the Germanic peoples, Germanic world. After the dismantling of fortifications of Copenhagen (17th century), fortifications of Copenhagen and the abandonment of the demarcation line in 1856, the building could be constructed in red brick. It consisted of two 25-span buildings connected by a wooden arch crowned by a large slate roof. Four tracks passed through the hall. The departure side was by the current Axeltorv, and on this side there were offices, luggage, luggage expedition and waiting rooms. The waiting rooms were divided into First class travel, 1st, travel class, 2nd and travel class, 3rd class. Further on there was a Danish royal family, royal waiting room and then toilets. As the volume of traffic increased, a special freight forwarder, freight forwarding building was added. Central Copenhagen around 1905

In the long run, however, this second station also became too cramped, especially because it was a terminal station with only one railway track, track leading out of the city which had to cross the The Lakes, Copenhagen, lakes of Copenhagen on a narrow dam along Gyldenløvesgade. On the other side of the lakes, the track split in two: to the west via Frederiksberg station to

and Frederikssund and to the north via Nørrebro station and Hellerup station to Hillerød, Helsingør and Klampenborg. The tracks are long gone, but large sections can still easily be seen in the street network. The large Nørrebroparken, Nørrebro Park and the Superkilen public park in Nørrebro are located on the grounds of the former Nørrebro Station. Matters were made worse from the fact that the tracks had several level crossings on the way out of the city, which with the steadily increasing train traffic led to frequent blockages for the equally steadily increasing road traffic when the barriers were down.

The third and current railway station

By the end of the 19th century, it had become increasingly clear that the conditions at the second railway station had become too narrow and outdated. Already from the end of the 1870s, it was discussed how to solve these problems with Copenhagen's railway connections. After many years of discussions, the Rigsdagen, Rigsdag, parliament of Denmark, Denmark's parliament finally decided in 1904 to build a brand new railway station, approximately at the location of the first station. The new station was to be a through station with the tracks of the westbound lines leading south from the new station out of the city along Ingerslevsgade via Valby station towards

and Frederikssund, and the tracks of the northbound lines leading north from the new station through a railway tunnel to Østerport station and continuing north from there via Hellerup station to Hillerød and Elsinore. Copenhagen_Central_Station_1911

The new station was opened on 30 November 1911 by Christian X of Denmark, Crown Prince Christian, who stated: The following day, 1 December, the first train departed from the station. Boulevardbanen-aug-1914

Since the northbound tunnel (the Boulevard Line) was not opened until 1917, the new station was initially only served by trains on the westbound lines, and the old station continued to serve the trains on the northbound lines for a period. With the opening of the first double track of the Boulevard line on 1 December 1917, the direct connection with Østerport station was established. Now trains along the Coast Line (Denmark), line from Copenhagen to Elsinore could continue directly to the new central station, just as trains along the Klampenborg Line were diverted via Østerport from the previous route from Hellerup via Nørrebro to the second station. However, it was not until the opening of the second double track of the Boulevard line on 1 October 1921, that trains on the Copenhagen to Hillerød line from Hillerød were diverted through the tunnel. The old station could thus finally be permanently closed. The station was overhauled in 1980. Escalators and lifts were established to the platforms, and the station concourse, which was originally split into arrival, departure, and freight sections, was redone completely. The station was overhauled again from 2004 to 2008. This overhaul replaced the roof, lowered platforms 3 to 6 to international standards and lengthened them. The towers and the bridge over the platforms, upon which the main station building is placed, were reconditioned.

Architecture

The station was designed by Danish architect

, who was head architect of the DSB (railway company), Danish State Railways from 1894 to 1921. The creation of the station project proved to be difficult. In the years 1898–1902, Wenck prepared several proposals for a new multi-storey station building, which, however, were rejected by the Rigsdag for being unnecessarily lavish. In most of these proposals, Wenck proposed a combined station and administration building for the Danish State Railways, which was rejected. The roof of the Hall of the Copenhagen Central Station

The roof of the Hall of the Copenhagen Central Station

The station is designed in National Romantic style, a Nordic countries, Nordic architectural style that was part of the Romantic nationalism, National Romantic movement during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and which is often considered to be a form of Art Nouveau. The prominent materials are brick, slate and granite, and a host of decorative details have been added. Inspired by Herholdt's railway station, Wenck also used a wooden arch construction both in the two departure and arrival halls and in the 6 arches over the platforms. It was probably just as much a stylistic choice, since Wenck rarely used cast iron. However, the entire railway station's foundation, basement and the platform that support the railway station site are made of reinforced concrete. Copenhagen Central Station - stained-glass windows

Copenhagen Central Station - stained-glass windows

Wenck's building is a gesamtkunstwerk, where the architect has drawn all the details; right from the Bornholm tiles, benches, the large chandeliers, of which 12 pieces originally hung (2 are set up in the hall, 2 others are found at Østerport Station), the kiosks, wrought iron signs with neat writing, door handles and brass signs with DSB logo and stained glass windows with city coats of arms from Danish cities. Copenhagen Central Station - reliefs 02

The Danish sculptor Jens Lund (sculptor), Jens Lund was responsible for the ten folklore, folkloristic figures of sandstone on the main facade representing persons in folk costumes from various parts of the country (1910): Amager, Fanø, Hedeboegnen, Læsø, Mols, Ringkøbing, Salling, Samsø, Skovshoved and southern Funen.

Layout

The station has 7 platforms and 13 tracks. The platforms begin under the main passenger hall (and at least the S-train section, two platforms with a total of four S-train tracks, of the station can be said to begin as an underground station). A hotel (''Astoria'') is built above the S-train tracks in the Northern end, but the remaining tracks are uncovered below street level. (Open areas between tunnel sections were necessary to have during the era of steam trains, while the S-trains always have been electrical). In the opposite (platform) end, all platforms are covered with the typical railway arched roof. This roof is shorter than the platforms, but all tracks remain below street level and can also be accessed from the street ''Tietgensgade''. In addition to the original 6 island-platforms and their 12 tracks, has one additional track constructed much later. The single spare track, called track 26, was initially built for trains to southern Sweden, while Malmö Central Station, Malmö C still was a terminus. It has later been used for express trains to or from Sweden or to or from Norway. After the European migrant crisis#Refugees in Sweden, introduction of border controls and mandatory identity checks for travel to Sweden this track was fenced and used for X2000 and intercity trains to Sweden. The extra track 26 is located south of the main building and is reachable only by walking along the platform for track 4 and 5 or from a staircase from the Tietgensgade street. There is a plan to extend the length of this track and build another track on the other side of the same platform, called track 27, and improve walking access to them. The station services the Copenhagen S-train network, but the

system in Copenhagen doesn't use any kind of hub at all. It is an urban transit which differs from most Metro systems mainly by being a type of railway. At the station are two platforms with four tracks (track 9–12) that are used by the S-trains only. All other trains usually use the other four platforms and eight tracks. Because Denmark uses Left- and right-hand traffic#Rail traffic, right-hand traffic, the tracks 1–4 are mainly used for northbound traffic, and tracks 5–8 for southbound, but tracks 3–6 can also be used for trains that change direction at the station.

Facilities

The hall of the Copenhagen Central Station

The main concourse also functions as a marketplace where fresh fruit sellers, newsstands, a post office, ATMs, currency exchanges, hamburgers, coffee shops, restaurants and pubs can all be found. There is also a travel center for information, a police station, and windows for the in-person sale of tickets, along with access to toilets. Shower rooms are also available for a smaller fee.

Services

Copenhagen Central Station provides Copenhagen with Intercity and Express trains across Denmark, as well as services to several international destinations. Direct international trains connect to Stockholm and Hamburg several times a day. Inter-city rail, Intercity trains run half-hourly from Copenhagen during daytime and serve as a link between the major cities and towns in Denmark, including Odense, Aarhus, Aalborg, Esbjerg, Thisted and Sønderborg. Regional rail, Regional trains (stops at major stations within the Greater Copenhagen area) connect the main parts of Zealand to the capital. The Øresundståg regional rail network depart to southern and western Sweden every 20 minutes (24/7 service between Lund Central Station and Østerport Station). All

services except the F (S-train), F-line stop at the station. From 29 September 2019 the Central station is also served by the Copenhagen Metro network's line M3 (in service 24/7), which is a circular line with 17 stations. The station is also served by the M4 line, linking the Nordhavn and Sydhavn districts and serve as an interchange between the Sydhavn extension and the M3. Long-distance buses stop at Ingerslevsgade near track 12 just south of the

bridge. All public transport within Greater Copenhagen are divided into close to 100 ticket fare zones. The Central station is located in fare zone 1, which together with zones 2 and 3 constitute Copenhagen municipality and the "enclave" of Frederiksberg municipality. As the cheapest single ticket always is valid in two zones, a single ticket bought at the station is valid within the entire city centre and its inner boroughs. A ticket to Copenhagen Airport, Copenhagen Airport Kastrup, however, demands the payment for three zones since it is located in zone 4. A special ticket fare system exists between the Copenhagen local traffic area and the most southern part of Sweden, Skåne county.

Future

The station needs more capacity following the opening of the Copenhagen–Ringsted Line on 31 May 2019. The Danish Ministry of Transport has started planning of an extension: proposals include a four-track terminal station on a bridge over the present tracks, or in a tunnel under them.

Number of travellers

According to the ''Østtællingen'' in 2008:

Cultural references

In film

Copenhagen Central Station is used as a location at 1:12:36 in the 1975 ''Olsen-banden'' film ''The Olsen Gang on the Track''. Egon (Ove Sprogøe) hides a suitcase in the luggage storage at Copenhagen Central Station in ''The Olsen Gang Outta Sight'' (1977) and the lost luggage department is also used as a location later in the same film.

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * *

External links

*
København H
a
dsb.dk
*
Official Site: Information and tickets
*
Banedanmark
– government agency responsible for railway maintenance, maintenance and traffic control on most of the Rail transport in Denmark, Danish railway network *
DSB
– largest Danish train operating company *
Danske Jernbaner
– website with information on railway history in Denmark {{Heinrich Wenck Art Nouveau architecture in Copenhagen, Central Station Art Nouveau railway stations City Circle Line (Copenhagen Metro) stations, Central Heinrich Wenck railway stations Listed railway stations in Copenhagen M4 (Copenhagen Metro) stations, Central National Romantic architecture in Copenhagen, Central Station Railway stations in Copenhagen, Central Railway stations in Denmark opened in 1847 Railway stations in Denmark opened in 1864 Railway stations in Denmark opened in 1911 S-train (Copenhagen) stations, Central Transit centers in Denmark Tourist attractions in Copenhagen, Central Station Vesterbro, Copenhagen